"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" -- or, rather, a homicidal boy in Stanley Kubrick's eerie 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel. With wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and psychic son Danny (Danny Lloyd) in… More"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" -- or, rather, a homicidal boy in Stanley Kubrick's eerie 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel. With wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and psychic son Danny (Danny Lloyd) in tow, frustrated writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as the winter caretaker at the opulently ominous, mountain-locked Overlook Hotel so that he can write in peace. Before the Overlook is vacated for the Torrances, the manager (Barry Nelson) informs Jack that a previous caretaker went crazy and slaughtered his family; Jack thinks it's no problem, but Danny's "shining" hints otherwise. Settling into their routine, Danny cruises through the empty corridors on his Big Wheel and plays in the topiary maze with Wendy, while Jack sets up shop in a cavernous lounge with strict orders not to be disturbed. Danny's alter ego, "Tony," however, starts warning of "redrum" as Danny is plagued by more blood-soaked visions of the past, and a blocked Jack starts visiting the hotel bar for a few visions of his own. Frightened by her husband's behavior and Danny's visit to the forbidding Room 237, Wendy soon discovers what Jack has really been doing in his study all day, and what the hotel has done to Jack. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Kubrick is after a cool, sunlit vision of hell, born in the bosom of the nuclear family, but his imagery -- with its compulsive symmetry and brightness -- is too banal to sustain interest, while the incredibly slack narrative line forestalls suspense.

As a ghost story and adaptation of the Stephen King novel, it's largely a failure. On the other hand, as an example of directorial bravura and as a study of madness and the unreliable narrator, it's a brilliant success.

Jack Nicholson's performance alone defines this frightening motion picture. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining may stray away from the Stephen King novel,… MoreJack Nicholson's performance alone defines this frightening motion picture. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining may stray away from the Stephen King novel, but the film's disturbing tone and psychological barrage is memorable and, to this day, is held up as one of the most outstanding horror films ever made. 4/5

c0up

'The Shining'. The camera movement, the score, the sound design, the production design and Jack Nicholson all contribute to a deep unease. You feel… More'The Shining'. The camera movement, the score, the sound design, the production design and Jack Nicholson all contribute to a deep unease. You feel the uncertainty throughout the metaphorical and literal mazes the characters traverse.
The most beautiful horror film I've seen.

Sam Barnett

Yes, "The Shining" is great. There is no replicating the kind of performance Jack Nicholson gives here, and Kubrick imbues the entirety of the film… MoreYes, "The Shining" is great. There is no replicating the kind of performance Jack Nicholson gives here, and Kubrick imbues the entirety of the film with a beautiful, familiar-yet-askew atmosphere that overtakes viewers as it overtakes the characters. While I can't say I enjoy the ambiguity of the story, which becomes rather convoluted in its concepts (a more contemporary comparison would be Donnie Darko), "The Shining" is a classic for a reason, and has aged exceptionally well.

Kristijonas Fussman

A landmark horror film from a legendary director, "The Shining" not only set the standard for horror flicks made over the last three decades, but also… MoreA landmark horror film from a legendary director, "The Shining" not only set the standard for horror flicks made over the last three decades, but also featured Jack Nicholson's best performance since "Chinatown."

Eric S

Stanley Kubrick's brilliant adaptation of Stephen King's novel about a frustrated writer forced to take the job as caretaker at a remote hotel… MoreStanley Kubrick's brilliant adaptation of Stephen King's novel about a frustrated writer forced to take the job as caretaker at a remote hotel consumed with evil.
Outstanding performances by Jack Nicholson and the rest of a top notch cast add to the eerie premise created by
Kubrick's use of lighting,colors, foreshadowing, music, and attention to the slightest details. This film is by all means "A masterpiece of modern horror."

Daniel Lermenator

The Shining can sometimes seem silly by today's standards, but it is still a very unsettling and chiling psychological horror film.

Chris Weber

Like many adaptations in general (and Stephen King ones in particular), this strays from the source material, but, given that it's an adaptation by… MoreLike many adaptations in general (and Stephen King ones in particular), this strays from the source material, but, given that it's an adaptation by Kubrick, it becomes a thing of beauty and art in it's own way. Honestly, I'm kind of torn on this one. It's a difficult movie to summarize easily, but at the same time, it's not. It's weird that way, and so is the movie itself.
Since there are no real set rules for the psychological thriller or the haunted building genres, the sky is the limit. That is especially true since this movie is a marriage of the two. It has a slow hypnotic pace that makes you very uneasy, and the fact that it takes a while for things to get cookin' only makes the pay off that much better and unnerving.
When I first saw this, it terrified me. I had a hard time getting through the last oh, 30 minutes or so. As I kept forcing myself to watch it time and time again though, I began to realize the brilliance of things, especially once I learned who Kubrick was, and what he's all about.
This movie definitely has Stanley's touch, and there's no mistaking that this is one of his movies, and not someone else's. The look is great, the direction is superb, the camera work and other things that contribute to the mood and atmosphere are executed nicely, and the performances are unforgettable. Honestly, as much as I love Jack, I kind of think that King was right to state that Nicholson seemed too obvious a choice, and that his descent into madness is not as surprising as a result. That may be true, but can you really picture anyone else in the role?
This is one of those movies you could analyze endlessly, and many people actually have. Sometimes movies don't necessarily warrant that kind of attention, and at other times, some movies are purposely made that way (and in a frustrating way too.....*cough* David Lynch's films *cough* With this movie though, it's cool. You can take it at face value, or you can ponder over it for the rest of your life, but it won't seem pointless.
This is a surreal and horrifying classic. Don't miss it.

Mark Walker

Despite being one of horror's most prolific and impressive writers, Stephen King's novel don't always transfer well to the screen. Reportedly, he… MoreDespite being one of horror's most prolific and impressive writers, Stephen King's novel don't always transfer well to the screen. Reportedly, he can't stand this adaptation of his work as director Stanley Kubrick changed a lot from the original source material. If that's the case and this is the end result, then maybe more director's should add their own spin on King's work as this is one of the genre's finest horror movies.
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is a novelist who agrees to become the caretaker of the secluded 'Overlook Hotel' during the winter to work on his new book. To keep him company, Jack takes his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) along with him. However, the hotel has a history of gruesome murders taking place at the hands of the previous caretaker. Not before long, evil and spiritual presences influence the behaviour of an increasingly unstable Jack, while Danny begins to experience prophetic visions.
What can really be said about the The Shining that hasn't been said already? Quite simply, it's a classic. I could just leave it at that and move along to something else but I'll shed a little light on why it can be - and predominantly is - regarded as such. First off, for any horror to achieve it's full potential, it's essential that it gets the mood right and this can certainly claim to have that. There is a foreboding feeling of dread that permeates almost every scene. Kubrick's approach is to linger long on shots and seemingly empty spaces. I don't think I've ever witnessed a horror where looking at static furniture in a hallway - waiting for something to happen - has ever been more creepy. That something rarely ever does happen but it's Kubrick's use of lavish sets, designed in the most meticulous detail, that's visual arresting. He uses vast, well lit, rooms and corridors yet creates a smothering feeling of darkness and claustrophobia. The power of the setting itself can often be overlooked as to how horrifying it really is, as most of the horror comes in the form of a maniacal Jack Nicholson; his decent into murderous madness is one of his finest and most iconic performances. There's not many actors that can channel a character so demented and unbalanced yet remain, very much, a pleasure to watch - even root for. My biggest issue with the film would be Shelley Duvall; I've never really been a fan of hers and despite putting in a good show here, she's too irritating and hysterical - leaving you with the feeling that maybe Jack should just 'bash her brains in'. That being said, the relationship between the two add a curious nature to story. On the surface it would seem that's it's a decent into madness from Torrance but there's ambiguity involved. Could it possibly be the vulnerability of Wendy and her unresolved past issues with her husband's physical abuse of their child, manifesting in her own decent? Does she even exist, or is she a figment of Torrance's imagination? Or is it vice-verse? It's this very ambiguity that raises the film above a conventional horror story and Kubrick only teases the audience with the details, never fully revealing them and leaving it open to argument. It's also benefits from a deliberate pace and some sublime camerawork by John Alcott, not to mention a dynamic, sledgehammer of a score that leaves you shaken and overwhelmed.
This is how unrelenting terror should be delivered; slowly assuredly and with consummate skill in maintaing it's eerie atmosphere. Kubrick delivers one of his finest pieces of work here and Nicholson follows suit. Let this be a lesson to all.

xGary Xx

A writer and his family move in as caretakers to a secluded mountainside hotel for the winter, but a presence inhabiting it causes his mental disintegration… MoreA writer and his family move in as caretakers to a secluded mountainside hotel for the winter, but a presence inhabiting it causes his mental disintegration leading to the urge for bloody murder. I'm not a fan of Stephen King. In fact, I'd go as far as to describe him as "a bag of cock". But what Kubrick did was to strip away the hokey nonsense of King's original novel and create a master class in haunting imagery and suspense. In fact, the supernatural elements of the story are almost irrelevant. The horror lies in the subtext of domestic violence; it's difficult to see a plaid wearing, balding middle-aged man as a terrifying monster, and Nicholson is hardly the most physically formidable presence. But in the classic scene in which he finally snaps, it is easy to see why waif-like Shelly Duvall (or anyone like her) would be incredibly intimidated. Without resorting to unnecessary gore Kubrick's visuals are disturbingly intense and complimented by one of the eeriest soundtracks ever written, the sense of unease is as creepy and atmospheric as any created. Far from being dated, compared to what passes for "horror" these days The Shining has actually improved with age. Another example of Kubrick being Jack of all trades and master of all.

Spencer S.

A film that transcends its genre, leaves itself open to interpretation and deep analysis from both film historians and the viewing public throughout the years,… MoreA film that transcends its genre, leaves itself open to interpretation and deep analysis from both film historians and the viewing public throughout the years, and is a cinematic classic as well as a horror classic; "The Shining" is the seminal best. Based upon the novel by famed horror author Stephen King, this adaptation takes liberties from the book, which led to King leaving the set and creating his own miniseries in 1997. This version takes liberties with the motivations behind the lead character, some of the plot, and some of the less horrible of the ghosts and monsters. Set in the Overlook Hotel, writer and alcoholic family man Jack Torrance is broke and trying to get sober for the sake of his young son and waifish wife, Wendy. The family sets up shop in the hotel as caretakers while the rest of the employees and residents are gone, snow covering the road twenty inches high, trapping them inside. The film, like the book, is a morphing of psychological thriller and ghost story, as the motivations of the characters become skewed along the way. The hotel is haunted by many specters, including the last caretaker's bludgeoned young daughters, axed in the upstairs' hallway, hallucinations of twenties' parties in the ballroom including butler Grady, and a sickly, skin peeling woman in the upstairs bathroom. Those elements are of course horrific, contrasted by Torrance's son, Danny, who is psychic, possessing an ability called the shining. His visions and distorted facial expressions make you squirm in your seat, as you wonder how this child wasn't frightened by his own performance. (Kubrick shot the scenes so the child in question didn't know he was in a horror film.) Though Danny's psychic visions of the future and the ghosts themselves are bloody and gruesome, they are nothing compared to the psychological workings of Jack's mind. King rallied hard against the casting of Nicolson in the part of Torrance, because Torrance goes through a psychological breakdown. Nicolson had already shown his abilities in the Oscar winning "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" several years before, and quite obviously has a look of lunacy to him: his arched brows, that crooked grin, his sneaking look of pained horror. He exemplifies creepy, and the moments leading up to his breakdown, especially the scene between him and his son on the bed, proved to be overwhelming and absolutely dripping with creepiness. His attitudes, his method of yelling out animalistic words as he runs after his family comes off as downright manic. Though you can see it coming from a mile away, it is still one of the most lauded and quoted performances of all time. The casting of Shelley Duvall seems strange when looking to the book, because the character is so strong and effectual against the tyranny of her husband, his alcoholism, and his paranoia. In reality, the character of Wendy Torrance comes off as a weak, horrified woman, trying to save her son, yet still feeble in the wake of her husband as a newly formed monster himself. The child actor, Danny Lloyd, was brilliant, and was chosen for his lengthy amount of attention and intensity. He is very innocent throughout, and visibly frightened, finally becoming possessed by his imaginary friend when his father attacks. The mood of the film is achieved through the hauntingly paced music, screaming through every scene even if nothing happens, the wide shots and vivid block colors of every room, and the exterior shots of the hotel, which are all cloaked in a mass of white snow. The wind howls through the dialogue in the last thirty minutes, which simply builds the action, the dire suspense to an unblinking climax. There are many theories about the hallucinations and the ending of the film, which Kubrick implies makes the entire series of events predestined, but others have their own opinions and theories about the implications of these events. I take what I see onscreen and what Kubrick has espoused on this film at face value, though each scene is riddled with complex implications about the true nature of the hotel, why Jack goes insane and murderous in the last thirty minutes, and the ghostly inhabitants of the hotel. Like Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House", the actual place seems intrinsically evil, based on events that transpire there, and hopeless for any kind of help from the outside world. That's why Jack Torrance is predestined to follow in the footsteps of Grady, his reincarnated self. Kubrick liked to leave fans with a sense of intellectual wow in his films and let most things up to interpretation. The Shining is one of the best horror films because it lets us choose why we are horrified, whether because this horror is based in the reality of insanity, or the imagination of the dead, decaying, bloody ghosts of the evil hotel. Kubrick creates another kind of genre within a genre, and creeps us all out with his choices even against the source material. Beautiful and yet so evil, "The Shining" is an entirely new kind of experience, and a film that keeps you awake.

paul oh

Instant Masterpiece! With a load of beautiully filmed tracking shots, Stanley Kubrick executes this film so well. Jack Nicholson just steals the screen by going… MoreInstant Masterpiece! With a load of beautiully filmed tracking shots, Stanley Kubrick executes this film so well. Jack Nicholson just steals the screen by going insane with an axe. "I'm not going to kill you, I'm just going to bash in your brains"
And looking at the film again, its truly one of the finest pieces of cinema. For pete's sake, the architecture of the hotel was geometrically incorrect just to bring in a creepy mood! Its the best acting performance from any female by far!

KJ Proulx

This film has many moments of disturbing images, intense dialogue scenes, and performances that will take your breathe away. "The Shining" is a very… MoreThis film has many moments of disturbing images, intense dialogue scenes, and performances that will take your breathe away. "The Shining" is a very slow moving picture, that will have you invested, lose you, and have you hanging on tight again by the end, which I might add, is a bit of a letdown. It has such a great story and performances to drive it, but by the end of each scene you just want the film to "get on with it!" I felt as though it got really intense during the conversational scenes, but got far too wordy and dragged on. It felt like I was watching a Kubrick film with a long take, except the dialogue is not really meant for that type of shot. I loved watching this film. Would I call it one of Kubrick's best? Absolutely not, but the filmmaking is superb. "The Shining" doesn't quite live up to the praise, but it's a pretty great film!